Spencer Green/AP
Rod Blagojevich giving a final press conference before reporting to federal prison in 2012. He has officially filled paperwork asking for his sentence to be commuted.
- Lawyers for former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich have officially filed paperwork asking President Donald Trump to commute his sentence.
- Blagojevich is currently serving a 14-year sentence in federal prison for corruption.
- Last Thursday, Trump told reporters he was considering commuting Blagojevich's sentence after announcing he would pardon conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza.
CHICAGO (AP) - Illinois' imprisoned ex-governor, Rod Blagojevich, has filed paperwork asking President Donald Trump to commute his 14-year prison term for corruption that included seeking to sell an appointment to the Senate seat Barack Obama vacated to become president.
A spokesman for Blagojevich's lawyers told the Chicago Tribune it was submitted Tuesday to the Department of Justice. The Chicago Sun-Times reports the paperwork is a formality and that Trump doesn't necessarily require it to act.
Trump last week broached the possibility of freeing the 61-year-old, suggesting the one-time "Celebrity Apprentice" contestant was convicted for "being stupid." But many Illinois voters regarded Blagojevich's corruption as brazen. His convictions included attempting to extort a children's hospital.
Blagojevich's wife, Patti, recently went on a media blitz to encourage Trump to intervene to reduce her husband's sentence.
Illinois is notoriously corruption-prone, and has sent four governors to prison, more than any other state. Otto Kerner served three years for bribery and mail fraud, Dan Walker seven years for bank fraud, and Blagojevich's predecessor George Ryan served six and a half for racketeering. Blagojevich was convicted on 17 total felony charges out of 20 he was charged with, and has served six years of his prison term.